Raul’s Bacalaitos

Ingredients

• 1 lb salt cod (1 package)
• water (As needed for soaking, rinsing, and boiling; the method also calls for 1 cup fresh water in the batter and reserving 1 cup cooking broth.)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• black pepper (To taste)
• 1 packet Sazón seasoning
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 0.5 bunch cilantro (Chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped), plus more to serve if desired)
• 0.5 red bell pepper (Finely chopped)
• 1 sweet pepper (Finely chopped)
• 0.5 green bell pepper (Finely chopped)
• 1 yellow onion (Small; finely chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (Smashed into a paste)
• corn oil (For frying; enough to cover the bottom of the pan in 1/2-inch oil)
• mayo ketchup (For dipping, if desired)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the salt cod in water for about 20 minutes to remove some of the salt and soften the fish.

2. 2

   Rinse the fish three times in fresh, cold water.

3. 3

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

4. 4

   Add the fish fillets and simmer for 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Remove the pot from the heat and reserve 1 cup of the cooking broth.

6. 6

   Drain the fish in a colander. When cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces.

7. 7

   In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup of fresh water, and the reserved fish broth. Whisk until smooth.

8. 8

   Add the shredded fish to the flour mixture.

9. 9

   Add the black pepper, Sazón, kosher salt, oregano, cilantro, red and sweet peppers, green bell pepper, onion, and garlic.

10. 10

    Fold the mixture together until just combined.

11. 11

    Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat.

12. 12

    Add enough corn oil to cover the bottom of the pan to a depth of 1/2 inch.

13. 13

    Add the batter in 2-inch rounds, frying them as you would pancakes until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side.

14. 14

    Serve the bacalaitos garnished with additional cilantro if desired, alongside mayo ketchup for dipping.

Notes

The source does not specify the amount of water needed for soaking, rinsing, or boiling, nor the exact amount of frying oil. It does not state a yield; servings are estimated.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• Caribbean
• seafood
• fried
• gluten-containing